


Solaneglo College Adventures

by mymindmywords



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Death Boy, Friends to Lovers, Implied Nico di Angelo/Will Solace, M/M, My First AO3 Post, Nico is a Dork, Sunshine - Freeform, peppy will, sarcastic nico, solangelo, will is a ball of sunshine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-24
Updated: 2015-10-16
Packaged: 2018-04-11 01:40:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4416176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mymindmywords/pseuds/mymindmywords
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My work-in-progress title says it all. Nico Di Angelo goes to college and meets Will Solace. Sadly I don't own any of the characters, Rick Riordan does and all rights go to him.  Enjoy the Solangelo, my dears!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Nico's POV

College. My best chance of leaving the crap of my past behind me and starting completely over. I had made the decision to move from Las Vegas all the way to New York, and well, so far so good. I hadn't talked to my family since I made the move and it took weight off my chest that I hadn't realized was there. Now, I was ready to start my own life. And I was ready to do it my way.  
I had been accepted to the University of New York and got to the campus on registration/move-in day. The common area in front of the admissions office was teeming with new students and their families, despite it being late in the afternoon. Mothers were crying and fathers were consoling. I brushed past it all and walked to the check-in table. “Hi, hon! Welcome to UNY! Can I have your name so we can get you checked in?” A peppy blond girl greeted me from behind the table.  
“Nico Di Angelo.” I muttered.  
The blonde flipped through some papers and ticked a little box. “You're in Williamson Hall. You turn left out of this parking lot, down two blocks, and make a right. It seems as though your roommate has already checked in, so he should be there when you arrive. Here's a map, your class schedule, and some general information about campus. We're glad to have you!” She shoved the papers into my arms and I was pushed away by the crowd.  
I walked back to my car and threw the papers into the passenger seat among the McDonald's wrappers and other miscellaneous trash. I drove to the dorm and parked near the front where yet another student was there to greet me. “Hey! You moving in?” he called and walked over to where I was unloading my stuff.  
“Yeah. Am I in the right place?”  
“If you're rooming in Williamson, yes. I'm Travis, by the way.” He stuck out a hand to shake.  
“Nico.” I shook his hand and popped the handle on my suitcases while Travis consulted a clipboard.  
“Good to meet you. Your room is number 204 and your roommate's name is Will Solace.” We trudged up the stairs and down a hallway. Travis set down the boxes he was carrying for me and fished in his pockets. “Here's your key. Do you need any help moving in?”  
“I think I'm good, thanks.” Travis nodded and headed back downstairs.  
I unlocked the door and pushed it open, and almost broke my roommate's nose. “Woah, easy there Slammy!” The guy who opened the door the rest of the way was radiating happiness.  
He was tall as hell with blue eyes, blonde hair, and a Southern accent. I couldn't believe it. We couldn't have been more different. I pushed my shock aside and attempted a smile. “Sorry about that.”  
“I'm Will Solace.” He shook my hand and grabbed a suitcase from me. “And you're. . .”  
“Nico.” I dragged my other stuff inside and kicked the door shut.  
“Good to meet you. What's your major? I'm in pre-med.”  
A nerd. Great. I thought. “Music major.”  
“Nice, nice. I stacked the beds so we have more room, is that okay?” He climbed a small ladder to sit on the top bunk.  
“It's fine.” I replied and went about unpacking.  
Clothes went in the closet, books and my computer went on the desk. I propped my guitar cases on the edge of the desk and made the bed with the gray sheets, pillows, and the red blanket I had brought. The boxes and suitcases were stashed under the bed. Once finished, I flopped on the bed and started messing on my phone. “You don't talk much, do you?” Will poked his head down from the top bunk.  
“Not really.” Awkward silence followed.  
“Do you want to go get dinner?” He asked.  
“Sure.” I got up off the bed and grabbed my headphones and my keys and followed him out the door.  
We left the dorm and I walked along slightly behind Will, who was smiling and waving at everyone who passed. I didn't realize how slow I was walking until Will turned around and shouted to me, “Keep up, you munchkin!”  
“I'm not short, you're just a giant.” I muttered, scowling, but still quickened my pace to catch up to him.  
“Where are you from?” He asked.  
“Las Vegas. You?”  
“Middle-Of-Nowhere, Texas. Born and raised. ” Well that explains the accent. I thought.  
“What music do you play?”  
“I play guitar.”  
“Which kind?”  
I was surprised he asked that. Most just took guitar as an answer. “Both acoustic and electric. What made you want to go into pre-med?” I figured that maybe if I asked him a question he might start talking and just, not stop.  
“I've always wanted to help people. The rest of my family do too, just in different ways. My dad runs the ranch and my mom the B&B. Do you have any siblings?”  
“No!” I snapped, and then put in my ear buds. I never talk about my family. That was basically the entire reason I went to New York.  
He didn't try to talk to me for the rest of the walk, but I had to take my head phones out during the meal. I may be socially inept, but I'm not rude. I loaded my plate with fried chicken and french fries and grabbed a soda. Will reappeared next to me with a salad on his tray. “What are you, a rabbit?”  
Will scoffed. “A vegetarian, actually. What about you, do you know how bad that stuff is for you?”  
“I wouldn't know, I'm not the pre-med.” I fired back.  
“Fried food tends to have saturated fat and that's the bad kind of fat and. . .” Will went ranting on about how I was “basically inviting a heart attack” and I should “care more about my health” and blah blah blah.  
Finally, he shut up when he realized that I had stopped listening. We each went back for bowls of ice cream, he got lemon sorbet and I got one scoop of coffee and one scoop of dark chocolate.  
We were eating silently at our table when a new person descended on our table. “Aye Will, how ya been?” The black-haired guy threw an arm around Will's shoulders and plopped in a seat next to him.  
“I'm good, Percy.” Will chuckled.  
“Who's the emo?” Percy drawled, looking at me. I ground my teeth and glared, my hands clenching into fists.  
“'Emo' is short for 'emotional', you idiot. If I'm “emo”, you're “emo” too. And it's not a way to describe a person, either.” I snapped. I've been stereotyped for my appearance far too many times for me to let it slide.  
“Woah man, sorry I was just joking around. See you later, Will.”  
Will smiled apologetically at me. “That's Percy. He's on the track team with me.”  
“You're a sporty person too? God, what don't you do?” I snapped, still reeling from the “emo” comment.  
“Take shit from angry short people.” Will retorted. “Brighten up, Death Boy.” And just like that he was all smiles again.  
“Death Boy?! Where did that come from?” I spluttered.  
“You're white as a ghost, man. And those under-eye bags. Go take a nap in the sun or something.”  
“Noted,” I muttered as we left the cafeteria.  
Back at the dorm, I used the bathroom and changed into pajamas and got into bed with a book. “What time do you go to bed slash wake up?” Will asked.  
“I go to bed late and sleep as much as possible.” I answered.  
“I'll try to not wake you up, then. Goodnight, Nico.” Will said.

 

“Nico. Nico. Niiiicccccoooooo.” I squinted against the intense sunlight coming from the window and groaned.  
“What'd you want, Solace? I'm sleeping.” I groaned and turned over. Will then ripped off my covers and stood across the room with them.  
I made a sound like a dying cow and stumbled out of bed to retrieve them. “And the dead rises!” Will cheered.  
He dodged around me and threw my blanket back on my bed. “Seriously, what are you doing?”  
“Nico, it's almost eleven. You've been sleeping way too long. Here.” He placed a mug of coffee in my hands and sat on the sofa. “Drink that and then get ready, we have stuff to do.”  
I gulped down the coffee and set the mug aside. “I won't take long.” I muttered.  
I took my clothes and bathroom stuff with me into the bathroom. One cold shower later I emerged a whole lot more awake than I was when I went in. I succeeded in the daily struggle of putting on skinny jeans and combed my hair into place. Back in the room, I pulled on my Vans and asked Will what we had to do.  
“I thought we could walk around campus and figure out where our classes are and then go get our textbooks.” He said as he was tying his shoe-laces.  
“Okay, I'll just follow along I guess.” I stood up and followed him out the door.  
We were about to leave the parking lot when I remembered something crucial. “Solace, hold up a second. Gotta grab something from my car.”  
I jogged back to my car and grabbed my penny board from the backseat and my schedule from the mess in the front. I skated back to Will and smirked as I rolled past him. “Keep up, Solace, places to go and people to see!”  
We ended up making a loop around the whole campus without really realizing it. Will and I shared a few of our general education courses but that was where the similarity ended. He would be spending a lot of time in the science labs and me in the music department. Together we figured out where the library was, and ended up at the university book store. I was busy scouring the shelves for the textbooks I needed when Will called my name from across the room. I turned around to see him holding up two shirts that both had “University of New York” emblazoned across the front. “Which one do you like better?”  
I face-palmed. “Oh my god, you loser.”  
“I'm serious! Which one looks better?” Will pleaded.  
“The black one, if you must have my opinion.” I turned back to the textbooks.  
“Of course you would say that, Death Boy.”


	2. Homecoming Week

Nico's POV

As the academic year started I started seeing less and less of Will. He would wake me up for a morning class before leaving for his own, because it became known pretty quickly that I couldn't be trusted to get myself out of bed on time. Because of his major, he did have more classes than me. There were several times where I would wake up in the middle of the night needing to pee or something and he would be huddled over his laptop, working by the light from the computer. I had my own fair share of late nights, but nothing compared to Will's. It was a miracle that Homecoming Week came when it did.  
One particular Saturday morning, I actually woke up before him. I saw him folded over on top of his desk and decided to let him sleep. I left the room and went downstairs to the common room for my morning coffee. Travis was there, pouring himself a bowl of cereal. “Nico, you're up early today.”  
“I know. My alarm clock failed me.” I set up the coffee machine and waited for it to brew.  
“Will's still asleep?”  
“Yeah. Between his classes and track, I'm shocked that he's still functioning.” I poured hazelnut creamer and sugar into a mug, still waiting for the brewing to finish.  
“I've heard that pre-med's a bitch. Good thing this week is a break, of sorts.”  
I paused. “What do you mean?”  
“The bulletin board by the door has been saying it for at least two weeks now; I can't believe you've missed it! Next week is Homecoming Week!”  
“What about Homecoming Week?” Will grumbled, stumbling into the room.  
“Morning, Sunshine.” I sneered.  
“Shut up, Nico. Where's the coffee?” He snapped.  
The thing about Will, he's the most energetic morning person you'll ever meet, except when he sleeps more than his usual.. Then he becomes a lot like me. I went ahead and started brewing another cup for him. I looked at Travis. “You were saying something about Homecoming. . .”  
“Right. Basically it's a week where the professors know that no one will be paying attention so they don't do much. The whole week is half-days anyway. The afternoon of each day is something different. Stuff like Opposites Day, Game Day, Color Day, you know, fun stuff. And of course there's the football game on Friday night and the dance on Saturday night.”  
“That sounds fun!” Once Will gets caffeine in him, he goes back to his normal self. “Doesn't it, Neeks?” One of his other annoying nicknames for me.  
I scowled. “Much game. Very fun. Woo.”  
“Oh c'mon Nico, you're excited and you know it. Travis, is there an official schedule of activities?”  
“Yeah, it's on the bulletin board downstairs. See you guys around.” He smiled and left the room, leaving me alone with the ball of energy that is Will.  
“We'll have to go look at it later. Surely there's something you would want to do!” Will nagged.  
“I highly doubt that, Solace. I have to go get ready.” I pushed past him out the door and headed upstairs.  
I showered and dressed an skinny jeans and a A Day To Remember t-shirt. Even though sometimes my music could be heard through my headphones (it could get very loud), I hadn't heard a complaint from Will. I draped my towel over the back of my chair and set about putting my acoustic guitar in the case that was also a backpack. “You like A Day To Remember?” Will asked from behind me.  
“Yeah, they're one of my-hey! Is that my phone?!” I stomped across the room and snatched it from his hands. I checked to make sure he hadn't done anything to it and glanced up. “You know ADTR?”  
“Yeah, man. They're great. I also like Bring Me The Horizon, Black Veil Brides, AC/DC, Motionless in White, My Chemical Romance, and others.”  
I stood up straight, not believing what I was hearing. “You like the more hardcore music? You? Mr. Sunshine? Never wold have guessed!”  
Will shrugged his broad shoulders. “You learn something new every day. Where are you headed?”  
I finished packing up my guitar and grabbed my penny board. “The studio. I need to work on a song.”  
“Work hard!” Will called as the door swung shut.  
A biting wind was blowing outside, and it was only worsened because I was on the penny board. Inside the music building, it was nice and warm. I shut myself into a private room and locked the door. Each room had sound-proofed walls and they were designed so each one had great acoustics. I pulled the music sheets from a folder in my bad and set the guitar on the floor. My composition class had a song due in a couple of weeks and while I had written most of the guitar part, I had yet to write a finish that I actually liked. I played it backwards and slowly and quickly and in sections trying to find chords that flowed but nothing was working. Finally I decided to quit for the day, and wandered into the hallway to the vending machine. I was ironing out a crumply dollar when the silence was interrupted by a screaming match.  
“Dude, you can't bail on us now! The competition is in two days!”  
“Well, I am! Everyone here knows that I don't fit! This. Isn't. Working!”  
“Guys, calm down I'm sure we can figure something out!”  
“No! I'm just holding you guys back. Good luck, I'll see you around.” A door down the hall slammed open and a guy came storming out.”  
“Fuck you, Lucas!” Came another shout.  
I meandered down the hall and poked my head into the open doorway. “Uh, is everything okay in here?”  
I was almost hit in the face with a blue, plastic hairbrush. “No! Our guitarist just fucking bailed on us and The Voice is in two days!” The red-head fumed.  
“What's The Voice?” I asked dumbly.  
“The annual Homecoming Week singing contest. We were planning to enter as a band, but now we'll probably have to withdraw. . .” Came a voice from behind the drum kit.  
My arm was seized in a vice grip. “Can you play guitar? Normally-” She broke off coughing. “Normally I wouldn't be so forward, but we're desperate.”  
“Yeah, I-uh-” The red-headed girl dragged me over to where a beautiful electric guitar was resting against the wall.  
“Oh, I'm Rachel by the way. That's Chris, that's Rick, and that's Micheal.”  
“I'm Nico.” I picked up the guitar, it didn't seem to be too different from my own. I tried an experimental riff, just to get a feel for the instrument. The sound rang out loud and clear, perfect. “What kind of music do you guys play?”  
Rachel sat on one of the beanbags. “We don't have any original material, but we play covers of metal-core, post-hardcore, and pop-punk bands.”  
“I may be your guy, then. If you'll have me.”  
Rachel sagged in her seat. “Thank god for you, Nico.”  
They told me that they were planning to do a cover of Sleeping With Sirens' song Do It Now, Remember It Later, and I was super pumped cause that song is awesome. They played it through for me minus one guitar and I was pleasantly surprised. Rachel had a great voice and she hit the high notes better than I thought she would. “Can you play it?” She asked when they had finished.  
“Let's run it again and you can see.” I smirked and plugged the guitar into an amp.  
Chris, the other guitarist, and I immediately worked well together and for a first run through, we didn't sound half bad.  
Micheal would back Rachel up on the screaming and they harmonized really well. “Nico, you're a lifesaver.” Chris clapped me on the back as everyone was leaving.  
I did my best to not recoil from the physical contact (it's not really my thing) and tried for a smile. “Lifesaver” is not something I would associate myself with. “Can you come back tomorrow? We should still practice to make sure there aren't any issues.” Rachel stated.  
I shouldered my guitar and shrugged. “It should be fine. Here, same time?”  
“Can I just have your phone number?” She implored.  
I felt my cheeks heat up. “S-sure.” I stuttered and scribbled the numbers onto her palm.  
“I'll text you!” Rachel called back to me as she headed out the door.  
I skated back to Williamson Hall, the chill doing nothing to erase the red from my cheeks. I pounded up the stairs to the room and flung open the door. I set down my guitar and flopped onto my bed with a sigh.  
“Work hard or hardly working?” Will asked me, without even looking up from his laptop.  
“I just had more human contact than I have in a long time.” I rubbed my face, suddenly exhausted.  
“Group project?”  
“In a way. . .” I answered. “What day is The Voice?”  
Will threw a bright orange paper airplane at me. I looked at him quizzically, and unfolded it. The week's schedule was printed out on the paper.  
Color Day and The Voice- Monday  
Game Day- Tuesday  
Skits Day- Wednesday  
Opposite Day- Thursday  
Pep Rally and Football Game (Warriors vs Cougars)- Friday  
Homecoming Dance- Saturday  
I groaned and threw the paper back at him.  
“What, Nico?” Will closed his computer and looked at me.  
“I got forced into our grade's group for The Voice.” I muttered.  
“For real? With who? What are you doing?” Will came to sit by me, beaming.  
“With Rachel, Chris, Rick, and Micheal. Their guitarist bailed and I just happened to be around and, um, yeah.” I felt my face flaming again at the thought.  
“You know you're going to be playing in front of the whole school, right?” I could hear the stupid smirk in Will's voice.  
“Shut up, Solace.”  
My phone buzzed and I made the move to grab it but Will beat me to it. “Ooh, Rachel texted you! She wants to meet up for luuuunch.” He drawled.  
I snatched it from his hand and read the message. “Nico, this is Rachel. We're all gonna meet up at the cafe for lunch tomorrow and head to practice after. I hope you can make it. Xx- Rachel”  
“She put two kisses!” Will giggled.  
I rolled my eyes and typed out a reply, trying to keep my fingers from shaking. “I'll be there. -Nico”  
Will pumped his fist in the air. “Aw yeah, Nico's gonna get it!” I started turning red. Again. “Dude, you look like a tomato.” Will was howling with laughter.  
“Solace. Shut. Up.”  
Sure enough, I got myself out of bed on time to make it to lunch. I got into the line and scanned the lunch crowd for Rachel. The line moved forward every few minutes, but ten minutes later, still no Rachel.  
“Sir? Sir?” The cashier's questioning voice jerked me out of my haze.  
“Salad.” I blurted.  
She looked at me strangely and typed something on her screen. “That will be four seventy-five.”  
I slapped a five dollar bill on the counter and scanned the crowd again. The cashier pushed a tray towards me and I took it, setting off into the dining room. I stood in the entry for a moment, scanning all the tables for a familiar face. “Nico! Over here, man!” Micheal yelled across the room. He waved me over to a tiny table in the very corner, right next to a massive window.  
I plunked my tray down and took a seat. “Sorry about that, Rachel's running late as usual.” Chris said and took a sip of his iced tea.  
“It's no problem.” I muttered.  
There's a saying that goes, “If the table is quiet, the food is good.” The food was barely mediocre, and the silence was caused by my own social inadequacy.  
“Damn Nico, what did that salad ever do to you? You've been scowling at it for ages.” Rachel remarked as she sat down.  
“I don't like salads. Or eye contact. They make me uncomfortable” I admitted sheepishly, glancing at the people around me.  
“You got mad people skills, man. That's all I gotta say.” Micheal sniggered.  
“C'mon guys, we've got stuff to do.” Rachel insisted, and the real conversation began.  
It was mostly them talking about stage presence and what was good and what was not good.  
“Rachel, I doubt you'll get away with flipping off the crowd on the bridge.” Chris scoffed.  
She put down her spoon of chicken noodle soup. “It's all for image, man! Image!” Rachel wagged her finger at him.  
“I imagine that I wouldn't like to spend the rest of the week in detention!” Micheal retorted.  
They ended up deciding on no flipping off the crowd and to just jump around a lot and get the crowd as hyped as possible. “Energy, guys, energy is key!” Rachel said as we took our trays to the counter.  
“You headed back to your dorm?” Chris asked her.  
Rachel coughed. “Nah, I'm headed to the pharmacy. My throat's been acting up.” She winced.  
“Rest up, then. See you tomorrow, guys.”  
“See you.”


	3. Homecoming Week Continued

Will's POV  
Monday Morning. I had already had my coffee and was ready. First order of business was to get Nico out of bed and I went for the dump-water-on-face tactic. He lurched up, spluttering and cursing me, but wide awake. “Morning, Sunshine! Today is a big, big day!”  
“Solace, you have got to learn how to humanely wake up a person. This,” he gestured to his dripping face. “Is not humane.”  
“Shut up, Death Boy. Go shower.” I shoved him out of the room and turned to the closet. I rubbed my hands together. “This is gonna be fun.”  
I had already planned out my color day outfit, but when Nico came back wearing his usual all black, that was not gonna fly. “What the hell, Solace? You look like a highlighter.” He scoffed.  
He had a point. I was wearing bright, neon yellow from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. “And you look like you always do. Boring, bland black.” I retorted. I grabbed what I needed from a cabinet under my desk and turned to Nico. I held up the rolls of yellow duct tape and caution tape. “I'm going to fix that.”  
Ten minutes later, Nico spun from the mirror glaring daggers at me. “I look ridiculous.” He complained.   
“I beg to differ.” I said, admiring my handy-work. I had wrapped his t-shirt in caution tape and put circles of yellow duct tape around his legs so it looked like his pants were striped with yellow instead of plain black. “And, there's nothing you can do about it because if we don't leave now, we'll be late for class! See ya later, Neeks!” I cackled and booked it out of the room.  
Throughout the day I got compliments on my outfit, which made me beam with pride. If there's anything I appreciate, it's knowing that I've done something right. I was eating lunch with Percy and his friend Jason when I saw Nico across the lawn. He was talking with three other guys, and it didn't look good. All of them looked pissed off. Nico was talking angrily and waving his arms around a lot. One of the guys said something to him with what looked like a sympathetic face, and Nico ran his hands through his hair. “We have no other choice, Nico.” Their voices were floating on the breeze.  
“I know that. You'll still back me up on the screaming if it turns out I can't do it?” Nico said defeatedly.   
One of the other guys clapped him on the shoulder and Nico flinched. “You've got this, bro.”   
Nico shook his head. “I sure hope I do.”  
I didn't see Nico again till the assembly in the afternoon, but when I did, it was because he stuck out like a sore thumb. He had gotten rid of the yellow I had added to his outfit, so he was easy to spot in a sea of yellow. The gymnasium was quite an impressive sight. Each grade had been assigned a color for the day's activities and they all sat in a separate section in the bleachers. Freshman were yellow, hence my highlighter getup. Sophomores were green, juniors were red, and seniors were blue. The entire gymnasium was echoing with the sounds of hundreds upon hundreds of pumped-up college students yelling nonsense at each other.   
“We've got spirit yes we do, we've got spirit how 'bout you?” The juniors screamed.  
The seniors screamed back with just as much gusto, “We've got spirit yes we do, we've got spirit how 'bout you?”  
“We got more!”  
“We got more!”  
“We got more!” The bleachers were shaking as they started jumping up and down, pumping their fists in the air.  
Once one of the faculty took the microphone, it still took several minutes to get the crowd quiet. “NYU, how are you today?” Everyone in the building screamed. “I see that color day was a success.” The middle-aged woman gazed around the room. “Today's next event is The Voice. We have four judges, and they will be blindfolded. The performers from each grade will put on their performance in a random order, and the judges will not be told who is for which grade. After the assembly, the judges will decide the winner and the proper amount of points will be added to that grade's score.” She gestured to a huge sign on the wall of the gymnasium. It had the grades listed on one side and the week's events on the other, like a spreadsheet. “Best of luck to all of you. Contestant one, please prepare for your performance.”  
I waited through the first two performances, one a pianist-singer duo and the other a lone dude spinning sounds out of his portable turntable. The second performer left the makeshift stage to a smattering of applause, and student volunteers started carting out a drum kit and plugging in amplifiers. I watched Nico shake out his hands and take a deep breath before following the other three guys on stage. A shiny, black electric guitar was slung across his body and he fiddled with the knobs on top as the other guys took their places. As the gymnasium quieted, the drummer started the song with a quick, catchy beat and the guitarists weren't far behind. To my surprise, Nico stepped up to the mike.  
“Woah oh oh, woah oh  
Woah oh oh, woah oh  
Woah oh oh, woah oh  
Woah oh oh, woah oh   
Seen this place before back when I was young and had something more to prove  
Now that I'm older I've seen all the things that I want and I'm ready to make my move  
We'll stare, straight faced, don't hesitate.   
Why would we want to make you bastards wait  
Thank god I got this chance, so I can say  
Now we'll say, we'll say  
We're gonna do what we want!”   
My jaw was practically on the floor. Nico sang really well and he looked so confident out there; I couldn't believe he was the same guy who had freaked out over a little lunch date only the day before. The entire group was talented, they made energy flow through the student body like a tidal wave. I was even more surprised when the next words out of Nico's mouth were issued by a low-pitched growl. I wasn't a stranger to the sound, considering my music taste, but I didn't expect Nico to be able to scream like that. When they finished the song, ringing guitars and pounding drums fading into silence, the student body roared.   
I couldn't even focus on the last performance, all I wanted was to get to Nico. As the assembly ended, I sprinted across the gymnasium. “Nico! What the-where did that come from?” I shouted gleefully once I had found him.  
I also didn't expect him to whip around and stare at me with the iciest glare I had ever seen, despite his face being red as a tomato. I literally took a step back.   
“Not. Now. Solace.” He seethed and stomped away with his guitar case.   
I scratched my neck, majorly confused. “He needs some time to calm down. He practically had a panic attack when we got off the stage.” I turned around to see Chris, Micheal, Rick, and Rachel. “We had no idea he'd react that way, did you know?” Rick asked sheepishly.  
“I can't say I did.” I gazed out the door where Nico had disappeared. “What happened? I thought you guys had a singer.”  
“This one here,” Chris nudged Rachel. “Managed to get strep throat. Vocal rest for at least three days.”  
“Great timing, right?” Rachel croaked.  
I shot her a look. “Don't talk.” She opened her mouth to object. “No. Doctor's orders. I have to go find Nico.”  
He wouldn't pick up his phone, no shocker there. I looked all over campus- the music room, the cafe, everywhere, and couldn't find him. He didn't show for the rest of the evening and I tried to stay awake as long as possible, but fell asleep before he returned. It was a shock to be woken up by him for once.  
“Solace. Get up.” I rubbed my eyes blearily and looked down at Nico. He had his usual grumpy expression but it was accentuated by purple-y bags under his eyes. He was somehow paler than usual. I climbed out of my warm bed and peered at him. “Quit starin' at me and get ready, you'll be late for class.”  
That was the last thing he said to me for the next two days. He would go to class in the mornings and disappear for the rest of the day. I tried to talk to him about what happened after The Voice, but he had put up a wall that I couldn't break down by doing just anything. Luckily what I had planned for Opposite Day broke the silence. I woke up Nico as usual, waiting to see his reaction. He groaned, sat up and his eyes just about shot out of his skull. “Solace, what the fuck are you wearing?”  
I smirked and twirled around for him. “It's opposites day.” I had chosen to channel my inner Nico Di Angelo. Black skinny jeans, a black t-shirt, an aviator jacket, and a can of black, spray-on hair color and a lot of eyeliner made up the look.  
“I don't even wear eyeliner!” Nico said exasperatedly. “What, do you expect me to go as you?”   
I smiled evilly and shoved a bundle of clothes into his arms. “How else am I supposed to impersonate the darkness under your eyes? And yes, go change, and I'll do your hair.” He flipped me off and stomped out of the room. He came back wearing the blue button-up and khaki pants and looking absolutely murderous. “I hate you, Solace.” He spat.  
“Shut up, drama queen. Sit.” I gestured to my desk chair.  
He sat down with a “Humph!” and I set to work with the comb. I slicked his thick, obsidian hair away from his forehead into what could pass as a quiff. It didn't quite resemble my usual style because Nico had a lot more hair than I do, but I made it work. “This is weird.” Nico said when I had finished. He peered into the mirror and scrunched up his nose. “I don't like it.”  
“One day, Neeks. Then, you never have to wear it like that again. C'mon, we gotta get to class!”  
The day consisted of people giggling at us and pointing, which made me grin but made Nico hunch and burrow further into the sweater that I had leant him. It was entirely too big for him, but he didn't seem to mind. After the day's classes ended, both of us ended up back at the dorm. Immediately, Nico changed into his regular clothes, fixed his hair, and went to work on whatever he had to do. I spent a good forty-five minutes in the shower trying to restore my hair to its original blond and get the eyeliner off. I returned to the room with the skin around my eyes red and raw. “That, Solace, is why I don't wear eyeliner.” Nico smirked up at me.  
Nothing really happened the next couple days. Nico decided that all the homecoming festivities were lame so he skipped out on them. I spent the afternoons with Percy and Jason tagging along with whatever they were doing. We were in the cafe, talking over coffee, when Percy proposed an idea. “Why don't you invite Nico to the football game?”  
“I think he'd rather jump in the river fully clothed.” I said dryly. Nico had made his distaste for the events of the past week known through under-his-breath cursing and complaining.  
“Wouldn't hurt to try.” The green-eyed swimmer said.  
Sure enough, when Friday evening rolled around I thought, It can't hurt to just ask.  
“Hey, Nico?”  
“What, Solace?” He glanced up from his bed where he was strumming his guitar and writing down things in a notebook.  
“Are you sure you don't want to go to the football game? Percy said I should try and invite you.”  
Nico scowled down at his notebook and I thought that he would say no for sure. But once again, he surprised me. “I guess it can't hurt.”   
We bundled ourselves up in coats and scarves and headed to the stadium to be there in time for kick-off. I bought us popcorn and hot chocolates from the concession stand and we walked up the stairs to the home-side bleachers.   
I scanned the sea of blue and gray, looking for my friends. “Do you see Nico or Jason?” I asked Nico.  
“I think they're over to the right, we should make out way ove-woah!” Nico was shoved forward by some over-enthusiastic student and would have toppled down the bleachers if I hadn't caught him.   
Without thinking much about it, my arm slipped across his lower back and pulled the dark-haired boy upright. We ended up standing very close together. Nico's face was bright red and I don't think it was from the cold. “Solace,” He said quietly, venom lacing his tone. “If you don't drop your arm right now, I will rip it off and beat you with it.”  
I felt my face flush and immediately dropped my arm. “S-sorry.”   
“Just don't touch me again.” Nico said gruffly, pushing past me.  
That little incident behind us, we managed to enjoy the game. Percy actually apologized to Nico for his earlier “emo” comment and they moved past it. The three got along pretty well. Of course, the game wasn't exactly Nico's scene. Jason, Percy and I would jump up suddenly and holler nonsense whenever our team did something good and Nico would stay decidedly seated. An hour or so later, the stadium erupted in noise when the buzzer sounded for the end of the game, we had won by seventeen points. I high-fived the other two guys and smiled down at Nico. “C'mon Nico, live a little!”  
He reluctantly stood up and let out a very half-hearted yell and clapped his hands together in a weak attempt to look excited. “Woo. Go team!”  
I grinned at his attempt and laughed a little. “We'll have to work on that, Neeks.”  
I saw the tiniest ghost of a smile on his face. “Whatever you say, Sunshine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be the last update for a few days because I will be going out of town without my computer *tear*. I will find another way of at least working on this story, but I won't be able to update. 
> 
> I'm taking requests for imagines on my only other work, so if you're at all interested, please check it out :) 
> 
> Same as always, comments and kudos make my heart sing, even if it's just pointing out errors!   
> Love you guys :)


	4. Nico Talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico opens up about his past. This one is a little sad, so I hope that you're prepared for some feels!

Will's POV  
After homecoming, the year got harder and harder academically. I wasn't too sure why I had to know that a male adult's skin would be twenty feet long if it were stretched out, but it was on the material I had to know for the mid-term exam. I spent my days in the chemistry labs and my nights hunched over my computer and surrounded by textbooks. I thought I was handling everything pretty well; after the Thanksgiving break I was refreshed and ready to tackle whatever I had to do to pass my classes with flying colors. I did learn more about Nico too, just from the fact that we were living together, but soon it became quite apparent that he had problems with winter.  
He never complained about the cold, that wasn't it. It was more like the cold got inside of him, freezing him from the inside out. Whenever you feel cold, you try for a certain amount of time to warm yourself up, you know, move around, put on more layers, that kind of thing, and then there's the point where you stop trying. You accept that you're gonna be cold and miserable for whatever amount of time and deal with it. You stop with the positivity and only think about how miserable you feel. That's how Nico was.  
He didn't talk nearly as much, barely ate, and didn't leave the dorm if he could help it. He switched between not sleeping for several days in a row and excessive sleeping. He had nightmares, but would never talk to me about them. It got to the point where I would bring him meals whenever I went to eat and I would have to wake him up and force him to eat. His skin turned a sallow color that looked worse than his normal pale and the bags under his eyes got so bad that it looked like he had two black eyes all the time. I didn't really plan to intervene, but at one point it was necessary.  
“Nico?”  
“Hnghhh.” He made a sound that sounded like a sad cow and pulled the blankets over his head.  
“Nico, you've been in this, slump or whatever you want to call it, for too long. What's going on?” I gingerly sat down on the end of his bed, half expecting him to literally kick me off.  
“It's not that I don't want to, I just don't know if I can.” His tiny voice came from under the covers.  
“Talking helps, Nico.” I said. I saw him sigh, and he turned back over and sat up. He looked so drained, I wondered if any of his excessive sleep was actually restful. “You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to, I just think it would help.” I added quickly.  
“No, I agree.” He took a deep breath. “The easiest way to explain it is to tell you I have SAD. Seasonal Affective Disorder. Great acronym, right?” He scoffed. “Basically, I get really depressed during the winter months. Science explains it by changing levels of serotonin and melatonin and all this medical crap I don't understand. I attribute it to, uh, personal issues.”  
I had heard of what Nico described. SAD is basically a period of depression that starts at the same time every year, but eventually lets up when the season changes. “Thank you for telling me about this, Nico. I can help.” I offered. I wouldn't make him talk about those personal issues if he didn't want to, he was dealing with enough already.  
“No anti-depressants. I've heard those screw you up even more.” He snapped, and I understood. Some of those medications tended to get the user “addicted” and they become dependent. I didn't want that as much as he did.  
“No, I agree. But, you can go outside more. Or sit by the window in classes. Go to the gym and get some exercise. Natural light is supposed to help and any kind of distraction is good. Working out would get your blood moving and occupy your mind from whatever negative thoughts you have.” I said. I had an idea and broke into a grin. “You can come work out with me! I usually go Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and you're always asleep. You need to stop laying around in bed.”  
Nico looked thoughtful. “I'll think about it. Thank you, Will.” He sounded truly grateful.  
That shocked me. Almost five months of living together, and I hadn't heard him call me by my real name even once. My chest warmed from happiness and I smiled. “You're welcome. Go back to sleep.”  
My idea for Nico to work out with me was to help him, and it did. But, it kind of backfired on me a month or so later. Between the ridiculous amounts of school work, off-season track conditioning, and extra working out with Nico, I was bound to crash eventually.  
“Solace, wake up.” Nico nudged my elbow and I looked up at him, fully dressed.  
“Shit!” I cried. I jumped up, about to run around and try to get ready as quickly as possible, when Nico pressed his hands into my shoulders. The action stopped me dead in my tracks. “Nico?”  
His small hand moved to my forehead. He frowned. “This wouldn't normally happen, Solace. You're sick.”  
“W-what?” I was baffled. The doctor isn't supposed to get sick.  
Nico removed his hand and nodded. “You have a fever. I've got to go to class, but I'll be back at twelve-ish. Stay here, doctor's orders.” He smirked wickedly and shut me in the room.  
I didn't want to admit I was sick, but I didn't deny that I felt like utter shit. My entire body ached and would switch between freezing cold and boiling hot. I had a headache and a unsettled stomach. Even feeling as I did, I entertained the idea of still making it to my later class, but quickly put it from my mind. I could take a day for myself. I needed to. I grabbed my computer from the desk and emailed my professors to see if I could still do the assignments and wasted time watching stupid YouTube videos.  
Sure enough, a little after twelve Nico came back. He didn't slam the door, instead he shut it gently and dropped his bag on his bed before leaning on the edge of my bed. “How are you?”  
I rubbed a hand through my hair. “Sick. And hungry.”  
“Come downstairs with me, I'll cook you soup.” Nico took off his coat and shoes and headed back out the door.  
I pulled the comforter off my bed and took it with me, wearing it downstairs like a cape. Nico stood in the little kitchen in the common room while I dropped into a chair. I watched him cook, getting up every once in a while to blow my nose. Once the soup was ready, I pulled the blanket around my shoulders and moved to the table. Nico placed a bowl of chicken-noodle soup in front of me with a bottle of hot sauce and a glass of ice water. He was about to sit across from me when I said “I'll eat if you do.” with a smirk. Nico shot me a look, but got up and served himself a bowl.  
I curiously watched him shake hot sauce into his bowl. “It'll help with your nose. That's what my mom always told me.” He smiled sadly.  
I took the bottle and shook a couple drops into my soup. I stirred it up, ate a spoonful, and coughed. “That's strong!” I spluttered, reaching for the ice water. Only a couple drops and my mouth was on fire.  
“It works.” Nico remarked.  
He was right. I was able to blow my nose and feel at least a little bit of relief. “You're right. Your mom is a smart woman.”  
Nico frowned into his bowl. “Was.”  
“Oh.” The conversation came to a screeching stop.  
“It's okay, Solace. She passed years ago.” I could tell he was putting on a brave face. “Along with my sister.”  
I just about spewed out a mouthful of soup. I got up and grabbed our bowls and dumped the contents down the sink. “We're talking about this, now.” I meant to sound determined but it sounded weak and congested because of my condition.  
I dragged Nico upstairs and into our room, locking the door to ensure we wouldn't have any interruptions. He sat on his bed looking kind of dejected. He glanced up at me through his thick eyelashes. “What?”  
“Nico! You don't just say something like that and expect me to drop it!” I said exasperatedly. I sat down beside him, pulling nervously at the hem of my shirt.  
He sighed. “I suppose you're right. My mom, from what I remember, was the nicest lady you could have met. She was loving to my sister and I, but also tough enough to take care of herself because of dad's work.” He got up to retrieve something from the drawer in his desk. “Here's a photo.”  
He handed me a little rectangle of photo paper. The image showed a tall man with stern, dark eyes and an impressive mustache. To his left was a beautiful woman. She had curly, dark hair just like Nico's and her very image exhumed love, just by looking at her I felt warm, like I was safe. Two small children were clustered around their legs, I guessed it was a young Nico and his sister. Little Nico had a mischievous smile on his face and adorable dimpled cheeks. He clung to his mother's leg like a lifeline. The girl looked a few years older, and even at a young age she was as beautiful as her mother. Tumbling dark hair with twinkling eyes, she looked like the type of person you want to be friends with.  
Nico pointed out each person to me. “That's my dad. He runs the financial stuff of one of the casinos on The Strip in Vegas. My mom would work in the kitchen, and she taught me a lot of what I know about cooking and baking. Of course, that's me. This picture was taken when I was five and my sister, Bianca, was eight, just after we moved to the states.” He pointed to his mother and sister.  
“Looks like a nice family.” I said quietly.  
“We were. I remember my mother ordering us to get this photo taken. We had moved from Venice, Italy a couple of months before and were getting ready to move into a permanent home. She wanted a nice family photo to commemorate it, a tradition that her side of the family had. Another photo like this, just a lot larger, hung over the fireplace. It was her favorite thing about our home.” Nico smiled sadly, eyes shining with un-shed tears.  
He took a shaky breath that physically rattled his entire torso. It was that moment I realized how hard this was for him and thought, Screw it, and pulled the smaller boy closer. He did freeze up, but after a moment he relaxed into my grip around his shoulders and rested his head on my chest. “You don't have to continue if you don't want too.” I said, running a hand up and down his upper arm.  
“We're beyond that point, don't you think?” He wiped his eyes quickly and resumed the story. “We've lived in Vegas since then. Both parents had steady jobs and it seemed like we would be happy there. But just as things were looking up, th-they were in an accident.” Nico let out a quiet sob. “My mom had taken Bianca to work with her that day. Get her some p-practice in the kitchen. They were coming home late and it was raining. It never rains in Vegas. I remember feeling on edge just from the cloud cover. T-they didn't make it home that night.” I could feel Nico crying, his tears being absorbed by my t-shirt.  
I sat in silence and just held him. I couldn't imagine losing two members of my family at such a young age. “What about your dad?” I asked gently.  
“He's still in Vegas. He was floored by their death's. He is a man of power, so he put on a brave face for his clientele and “moved on”. I was the only one who knew he would come home and drink his brains out. I like to think he got so drunk that he forgot I existed and that they had ever existed.” His tone turned angry. “He sold all their stuff, all the family heirlooms. You know, the “out of sight, out of mind” thing. I did manage to steal some of Bianca's stuff before it got sold, but it's just not the same.”  
My heart was breaking for him. “I'm sorry, Nico, I'm so, so sorry.” Now that I knew this, his behavior the past few months was totally explainable. Hell, it was natural for him to feel this way!  
“That's why winter is so hard. They died in the end of November, that winter was one of the hardest times of my life.” Nico sagged against my side. “Now you know.”  
“You should have told me sooner!” I hugged him tighter. “You can talk to me about anything, Nico.”  
He looked up at me. “Really?” He said in the quietest, smallest voice I had ever heard.  
“Yes, really. I'm sorry in advance if I got you sick from this.” I coughed and released my hold on him.  
“We just had that super intense conversation and now you know my tragic back-story, and you're worried about getting me sick? You're a piece of work, Sunshine.” Nico stood up and wiped all the wetness from his face. He gave me a tiny smile. “I think you should get some sleep.”  
I climbed onto my bed and burrowed under the blankets. I fell asleep to the sound of Nico, softly strumming his guitar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew that was kind of intense. I hope it was good. As usual, comments and critiques of any kind are welcome! Thanks for reading!


	5. Nico Makes A Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even when sick, Will finds ways to take care of Nico. Just not the kind of care that he's used to.

Nico's POV

I couldn't decide if I was furious with myself for opening up to Will or not. I felt emotionally drained and absolutely exhausted after the conversation. Will fell asleep and I had been playing the guitar ever since. I was switching between soft, melancholy sounds on the acoustic that reflected my feelings about the trip down memory lane and loud, growling notes from the electric that could barely be classified as music. I was angry with myself, embarrassed, depressed, confused, and a plethora of other emotions and I didn't really know how to react. I'm Nico Di Angelo, for fuck's sakes! I'm supposed to be a stone-cold pillar of zero emotion, and stupid Solace has me crying on his shoulder within minutes. I couldn't imagine how he would act around me, would he treat me differently, like so many people did after Bianca and my mom's accident? The therapists, teachers, even my dad sometimes, treated me as if I were made of glass. Angry sounds erupted from the guitar and I clenched my jaw. _I am not fragile_ , I thought. _This means nothing_.

Solace was sick over the weekend, trapped inside, and that seemed to make him more annoying than usual. He laid around in bed and ordered me to do things for him. “Nico, can you get me water?”

“Your legs work fine.” I said, not even glancing from the paper I was working on.

“But doctor's orders were to stay in bed.” He argued.

“You told yourself to stay in bed, stupid.” I scoffed.

Solace replied with a high-pitched whine. Eventually I sighed and tossed him the unopened water bottle that was beside me on the desk. He made a happy, squeal-y noise. “Thanks, Neeks!”

I worked in silence for a while, with a lot of squinting at the screen and banging excessively hard on the keyboard. “Nico, you know you're really close to the screen, right? You could damage your eyes.” Solace was out of bed and hovering over my left shoulder.

I sat back in the chair with a huff. “I'm not good with technology.”

He knelt beside me. “Really? What are you trying to do?”

I pointed at a certain paragraph on the page. “I want this paragraph later in the paper, but I don't want to type it out again.”

“Nico, that's called copy and paste.” He shook his head, dumbfounded. “I can't believe you're in college and don't know that.”

He showed me how to move the text to where I wanted it without extra work. Solace put the computer back on my lap with a bright smile. “There you go! You know what to do?”

“Yeah. Thanks, Solace.” I said appreciatively.

He went back to texting and I finished a few more paragraphs on my paper. Will put down his phone and stood up to stretch. “Jason wants to hang out, is that okay, Nico?”

“Fine with me.” I said, not really paying attention.

Several minutes, Will opened the door to let in the tall blonde. “Hi Will, Nico.” He nodded to me.

“Hey Jason, what's up?”

“I was wondering if you guys wanted to go into the city with me. I've gotta do some Christmas shopping.”

“I can't actually go, I'm sick. But Nico can!” Will said. I gave him a death glare and looked at Jason.

He shrugged. “It's fine with me. Do you want to come?”

“Um, I guess I could.” I said uneasily.

Jason grinned, it was bright but not as bright as Will's. He stepped back into the hallway. “You get ready, I'll hang downstairs.”

I got up and put on a hoodie, a heavy coat, and boots and added a dark red beanie. “See you later, Solace.”

Just as I was about to leave he looked up at me. “You look good in red. Have a good time.” Will said with a smile.

I ambled down the stairs and outside to the parking lot, hugging my arms to my body against the cold. I joined Jason on the curb and waited for a taxi. “Why did Will invite me to hang if he was sick?” Jason asked.

I hunched into my coat. “I think it's because he wants me to get out more.”

“Understandable. Will told me about you.” It took all my will power to not run back to the dorm and punch Solace. Jason must have seen the anger on my face. “It's cool dude, it's cool.” He shrugged. “I lost my mom too.”

At that moment, all the fight drained out of my body. I wasn't sure what to say, but the awkward silence was delayed by a taxi pulling up. Jason motioned for me to get in first and he followed. “Newport Centre, please!” He told the driver.

It took us at least half an hour because of city traffic, but that was to be expected. The taxi dropped us in front of the Kohl's and Jason lead the way inside. “I need to buy gifts for my dad, my sister, and my girlfriend. You'll help me, right?”

I shrugged. “I guess. I should probably buy something for my dad.”

Jason walked leisurely through the store, navigating around the crowd like a pro. “My dad's a weatherman,” He thought aloud. “He likes suits and reality tv. My sister likes punk bands, and my girlfriend is a beauty guru.”

“You could do cuff-links or hanker-chiefs or something for your dad.” I recommended. I glanced at the crowds around the cases of jewelry as we passed. “You might have better luck with that at Macy's though.”

“You're probably right.” Jason agreed, and we walked the short distance to the next store. I watched as Jason chose a pair of lightning bolt-shaped, silver cuff-links and paid. We wandered further into the store, looking at whatever caught our eye. I found a necktie set that my dad would like, three ties with a paisley pattern that had skulls within it and each tie was a different color. It wasn't too highly priced either, I wasn't gonna more money on the man if I had too. Jason laughed when I showed the ties to him. “I don't even know your dad but that's a great gift!”

My shopping done, I followed Jason around the mall and helped him pick out gifts. He got his girlfriend gift cards to Sephora and Victoria's Secret and also a pair of diamond earrings. All the checkout employees asked about “the lucky lady” and said that he chose well. We left the jewelry store, Jason looking a lot more relaxed than he had going in. I followed him to the food court and we sat down at a small table. “How do girls do this all day?” Jason pondered. I hummed in reply. The entire excursion was tiring me out. Too many people. “You wanna get something to eat?” He asked.

I glanced around the food court and spotted the golden arches. “McDonald's?”

“Sure. I can stay with our stuff, can you get me a Big Mac?”

I nodded and wandered over to the counter. “One Big Mac, one Happy Meal, a large fries and two sodas, please.” I threw a couple of fives on the counter and took the change.

After a few minutes I took the bags back to our table and gave Jason the cups. “Get me a Dr. Pepper, please?”

Jason got the drinks and sat down across from me. “A Happy Meal, huh?”

“I lived off of these during the trip from Vegas to New York.” I said through a mouthful of burger.

“What's it like in Vegas? My mom loved it there.” Jason remarked.

“It's really loud. Traffic all the time and tourists everywhere no matter what time of year it is. It's in everyone's best interest to not leave their house after ten o' clock.”

“Lotta drunks?” He asked, swiping some fries.

“You have no idea.” I said bitterly.

After that we didn't talk a lot, but the silence was comfortable. Jason stretched his hands over his head as we ate the last few fries. “I don't know what to get Thalia.”

“I'm guessing she's the one who likes bands?”

He nodded. “I think you guys would get along well.”

I stood and tossed the red box in the trash. “I know just the place.”

I lead Jason through the mall to one of my favorite stores. “Hot Topic.” Jason read the sign.

He followed me inside and to the back of the store, where the wall was covered floor to ceiling with band tees. “Do you know if she likes any of these?”

Jason's jaw was on the floor but he scanned the wall. “I see a few, but she's also kind of grown out of the band-merch-all-the-time phase.”

I shrugged. “I could help you look. Do you have a picture?” He pulled out his phone and showed me a picture of Thalia standing at the top of the Empire State building. She had short, choppy black hair and silvery-blue eyes like Jason's. She was wearing dark skinny jeans, a long, flowy black shirt and heeled black boots. “I'll do my best.”

Jason and I split up in the store, both of us looking through different racks. I didn't have any success, and after several minutes, we met back in front of the band tees. Jason held up two hangers and showed me a black cardigan with a white spine on the back, a Jack Skellington sweater, and a pair of studded boots. “You know her better than I do, man.” I told him.

“Well are these, like, cute? I'm not experienced in fashion.” Jason said, concerned.

I shrugged. “I think they're nice.”

“If you say so.” Jason went to purchase the items while I lurked at the back of the store looking at the band tees. He almost had to drag me out of there.

“Shopping's done, then.” Jason said as we walked back out to the curb. “Thanks for coming with me.”

I wasn't sure what I had gone with Jason so willingly, but I didn't regret it. “Thanks for inviting me. Kind of.”

Jason laughed and waved over a taxi. We rode back to the college in easy conversation; I hadn't felt at ease with a person so quickly in a long time. The driver dropped us in front of Williamson Hall and I paid him because Jason had done it the first time. “Thanks again, Nico. See you around!” Jason called over his shoulder as he headed to his dorm.

I walked inside, grateful for the heat that blasted over me. Will was spread out on one of the couches in the common room, watching a movie. I shed my coat and tossed it on a chair. “Hey, Solace. How are you feeling?”

“What's this, Nico initiating a conversation? Exhibiting emotion for another human being? I must be hallucinating.” Will cracked a smile and laid a hand on his forehead like a damsel in distress

“Don't get your hopes up, drama queen. Answer my question.” I said, falling into a chair to his left.

“Better than I have been. Thanks, Doctor Di Angelo.” Will teased.

I sighed, if he was back to being his happy-annoying rather than his sick-annoying, he was getting better. “Doctor is your title, Solace. Have you eaten anything?”

“I finished the soup you made last night. If you're gonna cook all my meals for me, I might have to get sick more often.” He said with a dazzling smile. Yep, definitely back to normal.

I felt my ears redden from the compliment and it made me want to smile, but my face would not cooperate. “Tough luck, Solace.”

I spent the rest of the night downstairs with him, watching cartoons. Tom and Jerry, Spongebob, Adventure Time, and more. At around two in the morning, I roused Will because he had fallen asleep. “I don't think you want to sleep on that couch. C'mon.” I hauled his half-awake ass off the couch and up the stairs. “You're gonna have to get yourself into bed, Sunshine.”

Will groaned and pulled himself up to his own bed as I climbed into mine. I practically had a heart attack when Will poked his head down after I had turned out the lights. “Solace, don't do that!”

“Sorry, Nico. Just wanted to say thanks. So, um, thank you for taking care of me. Night.” His head disappeared from my line of sight and the room grew quiet.

I laid awake for some time after I knew Will had fallen back asleep. I thought about how even after Will had learned about my family issues, he didn't treat me differently and how much that told me about him as a person. The entire time when we were stuck inside proved it. He didn't bring up the conversation or even hint at it, not once. He didn't look at me with sympathy or try to distract me whenever he could tell I was in a bad place with my thoughts. Once I had told him about my SAD, Will seemed to know exactly what I needed from him, whether it was distractions or time alone. I didn't really have to say anything; I guess he could read me and deduce what he needed to do. It might have been his med-student senses. I hadn't felt as close to a person as I did with Will in ages.

So, in the silence of our dark bedroom, I gazed at the bottom of Will's bunk and listened to his rasping breaths. _No, Will. Thank you._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've now posted all I had pre-written for this story. I hope I can get consistent updates to you guys because my first day of school is tomorrow! Oh well.   
> I will still be working on this, and feel free to (PLEASE) leave imagine requests on my other work if you're at all interested.  
> Any type of comment is welcome, whether it's your opinion, grammar Nazi-ing me, or ideas you would like me to hear. Comments make my heart singgg!!   
> Thanks so much for reading! Till next time :)


	6. Nico Learns Something New About Will

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will does some things and Nico notices some things, and other things ensue.

Nico's POV

 

My fingers were bleeding. Not really, actually, but they were pretty damn close. Excessive strumming and picking on a guitar can take a toll. I left the music building and breathed in the fresh air. My seasonal depression had finally let up and I was focusing on classes and rebuilding my small social life. My acoustic guitar was strapped against my back and my penny board's wheels clicked over the cracks in the sidewalk. A quick glance at my phone told me it was just about lunch time, and Will's class would be ending shortly. Speak of the devil, the device buzzed with a message. _We can grab lunch. I'm still in the lab, so you can make your way here. Bakerson Building. -Will_ He had typed.

I pulled up to a sign on the sidewalk that had a directory of the college's buildings. Bakerson was on the other side of campus, even further than our dorm. I shrugged and took off. I weaved through students walking the opposite direction, relishing in the breeze my movement created. NYU had a beautiful campus. Clean, well-kept landscaping and classy brick buildings looked extremely different than anything I would see in the south-west. I wheeled to a stop in front of the medical lab, hopped off the board, and walked inside. I peered into different rooms, looking for Will's shock of blonde hair. “Hey, Nico! Down here!” Will called from a room down the hall.

I strolled inside and looked around. It was extremely cold in the room, and there were shiny, metal tables spread throughout the room. One wall seemed to be entirely made of file cabinets, and that's when I realized what the room was. I stared at Will, who was peeling off a pair or purple latex gloves. “Is this a morgue, Solace?”

He snorted with laughter. “No. This is called a cadaver lab. Basically, people can donate their bodies when they die for med students to study. Most universities don't have this opportunity at the freshman level.” Will's eyes were shining with excitement.

I gazed around the room again, nodding. I then noticed the stench of chemicals and the covered body lying on the table beside him. I looked back to Will. “Let's just get out of here.”

“Gotta change into street clothes first.” Will said, gesturing to his bright green scrubs. “I don't want to be wearing Hollister when I'm working with dead people.”

I followed him further into the building and into a locker room. Will spun open a combination lock and then proceeded to strip. Averting my eyes didn't do much. I couldn't stop staring at his bronzed skin and lean muscles.

“Hey, show's over Neeks.” My head shot up to see Will smirking at me, fully clothed, and the blood rushed to my face. When was the last time I stared at someone like that?

I pushed past him and into the hallway, my face burning in a blush. “Let's just go.”

He laughed and slung an arm around my shoulders as we made our way outside. “Aw Nico, I don't blame you for lookin'. You're not so bad yourself.” He said, and clapped my shoulder.

I turned my head so he wouldn't see how red my face was. He poked fun at me during the walk to the cafe but I didn't mind. I knew he wouldn't stop, so why try? Inside we ordered our food and sat down at a tiny table right beside a huge window. Will looked at me over the top of his coffee cup. “Why are you staring at me so much?” I questioned.

Will put down his coffee and smiled at me. “I mean it Nico, you're hot. I'm surprised you don't have girls lining up for your autograph.”

I choked on my drink from his bluntness. No one had ever told me that in such an upfront way. Heck, I had never been told I was hot, much less from a guy! I took time to recover my senses, eyeing the boy across from me. _Two can play at this game_ , I thought. “Well, what about you, Will?” I asked. I opted to use his first name for maximum shock. “You've got it all, brains and beauty. Is there a lucky lady?”

Will traced a finger along the rim of his cup, strangely quiet for a moment. “I've never been too keen on the ladies, honestly.” Woahwoahwoah. Hold up. Did Will Solace just imply what I think he did? “You don't have any issues with that, do you?” He asked.

“N-no, I uh-” I coughed a bit and took a sip of water. “I just never would have guessed it.”

Will's laugh sounded flat. “I didn't either, but here we are.”

I regained my composure and stared him straight in the eye. “Will, I don't have any issues with it. I was just surprised. I didn't mean to react that way, I'm sorry.”

“I forgive you, Nico. Thanks. Now, let's just enjoy our lunch.” And with that, he dug into his food.

Talking with Will is so easy. Well, not super easy. He likes to joke around and will sass you on whatever you say. He speaks like everything he's saying is an exciting story. I'm pretty sure it's impossible to be bored by a conversation with him. He doesn't let me sit there silently anymore, and if I try he narrates what I'm doing until I give in.

“Nico's eating his sandwich. Now he is swallowing and taking a drink of water. He's glaring at me. He's making a very rude gesture at me.” He said all of this with that smile of his on display.

“Are you for real, Solace?” I asked exasperatedly, but with a smirk.

“The one and only, Nico. Oh, I wanted to talk to you about something.” I froze. “Talking” wasn't usually a good sign. “I wanted to ask if you wanted to visit over the summer. You know, you could visit me at the ranch or I could come to Vegas. It's all really up in the air, but I was wondering if you would be at all interested.”

Will looked so hopeful, and I'd be lying to myself if I thought that I didn't want to hang out over the summer. “That would be really cool, Will. Thanks.”

“We have a ton of time for planning, I just wanted to see if you were game.” He said as we were cleaning up our table. We headed outside. “What do you wanna do now?”

I shrugged. “Dunno. I don't have any other classes today.”

Will squealed like a teenage girl, and it startled me so much that I almost tripped over my own feet. “We could go get ice cream!” He shouted.

“Solace, you're such a child. Seriously.”

“Shuddup, Nico, I could invite Percy and Jason too.”

“Whatever makes you happy, Sunshine.” I would have patted his head all condescendingly, but that wouldn't work considering he was several inches taller than me.

Jason texted the other guys and I rolled slightly ahead of him on my penny board. The closest ice cream shop was a few blocks away from the hub of campus, but I didn't mind the journey. It was nice to be outside. I hopped off my board when we walked inside, and Will waved to the other guys. He did that bro-hug thing with them and I waved awkwardly. We got into line, Jason, Percy and Will all chatting animatedly. “What ice cream do you like, Nico?” Percy asked.

“I get coffee, every time. I'm not one to live adventurously.” I answered.

Percy ordered a flavor called Phish Food, Jason got cake batter, and Will got dulce de leche. I licked my coffee-on-a-waffle-cone and followed the guys outside. They plopped down in the shade of a huge tree. “What have you been up to lately?” Will asked them.

“I've been training like crazy for swim and studying a lot, alongside work. One of my professors said that if the whole class aces his next exam, he'll take us to the coast and do some hands-on studying.”

“What do you study?” I asked, intrigued.

“I'm studying to be a marine biologist, but for now I'm working at the aquarium.”

“Interesting.” I said, taking a bite of the cone of my ice cream. “What about you, Jason?”

“I'm getting a degree in sports nutrition. I've always been really active and cared a lot about what I eat and stuff, so it just kinda makes sense.”

“He says while eating ice cream.” I scoffed, but it was good-natured.

Jason grinned at me. “I make exceptions.”

“I know that Will, the crazy son of a bitch, is in pre-med, but what are you doing, Nico?” Percy asked.

“I'm getting a music degree. I play guitar.” I told him.

“He sings too! Remember homecoming?” Will said, smiling at the memory.

Percy smacked a hand to his forehead. “That was you! Admittedly, that genre isn't my type, but you've got mad guitar skills. Props to you.”

I smiled a bit at the compliment. “Thanks.”

Will crumpled his cup and stood up. “It was awesome hanging with you guys, but I've gotta get back. Studying.” He shuddered. “You can stay if you want, Nico.”

I scrambled up. “Nah, I'll go with you. See you guys.”

Will buried himself in a mountain of textbooks back at the dorm and I played guitar, working on my piece for the final.

“I really like it when you play. If I had any musical talent at all, I'd want to play guitar.” Will said as he came back into the room. He had gone downstairs for a soda.

“Thanks, I guess. And aren't those supposed to give you heart attacks or something?” I swiped the Mountain Dew and took a sip.

Will snatched it back from me. “Like Jason said, I make exceptions.”

I threw down my pencil, stood up and stretched. “I wanna cook. Do you want to make another exception or should I make the healthiest thing I can think of?”

“Healthy, but can dessert be an exception?” He pleaded.

I gave in to the puppy-like blue eyes. “Fine. I'll let you know when everything's ready.”

I went downstairs to the dorm's kitchen and pulled open the refrigerator. I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of food inside, and got straight to work. It didn't take long, but I enjoyed the process. I got into a rhythm of chopping things, and then tossing them into a bowl. I ended up with a salad made of corn, tomato, avocado, and other vegetables topped with a spicy, southwestern salad dressing. I set the bowl on the table and then crossed the room to holler up the stairs. “Solace! Dinner's done!” I shouted, praying that he would hear me.

Sure enough, moments later the blonde came bounding down the stairs. He sat at the table while I grabbed us plates. “Bon appetite, monsieur.” I said, sitting down across from Will and handing him a big spoon.

He loaded his plate, and I took a serving as well. “Is there anything you're bad at, Nico? You sing, you play guitar, you cook. You're the whole package, man.” Solace grinned at me through a mouthful of food.

“Ew, Solace! But I am bad at medical stuff. You're the one that's good at that.”

“But it's not like I can get anywhere with that! My brothers, they're all really good athletes and they also play music. I feel really, I don't know, insignificant a lot of the time.” Will blurted, sagging in his seat.

I was shocked. “Solace, you don't really feel that way, do you?” He shrugged and wouldn't look me in the eye. “Will, do you realize how hard it is to make it in the music industry? It takes years of work to maybe get a decent shot at fame and fortune or whatever. As for doctors, there are always needs! You could be a pediatrician, and help kids. Or you could become a full-fledged doctor, and travel the world to poorer countries to help the people there. What you want to do is so important, Will! Not even close to insignificant!”

“Really?”

“Yeah, really! Did it ever occur to you that I may have not made it through this past winter if it weren't for you?” I blurted out. “You did everything right. You didn't judge me, you didn't try to “fix” me. You helped me.”

“I did? I guess I did..”

“Yeah. So if you ever feel insignificant, think of me. You saved me.” I felt a heavy blush creeping up my neck so I quickly changed the conversation. “So, dessert!”

Will perked up immediately. “What did you have in mind?”

I got up from the table and took out plates to the sink. I stood up on my tiptoes to reach a cabinet of mugs, but I wasn't quite tall enough. A long arm reached up and around me and plucked two over-sized mugs from the shelf. “There you go, Death Boy. What are you gonna make for us?”

“Only a staple for the broke college student.” I said, pulling ingredients from the cabinets. “Mug cakes.”

Will watched as I measured flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and baking powder into each of the mugs and then cracked an egg in each. I stirred up the mixtures, and then put them in the microwave one at a time for a couple of minutes each. Will had relocated to the couch, so I carried the mugs over there along with two spoons. He had flipped on the tv and spread out on the couch, his feet resting on the coffee table. The dim lighting made his hair shine like pure gold. I swallowed a knot in my throat and handed him one of the mugs along with a spoon. “Careful, they're really hot.” I advised.

We ate our desserts in silence and watched the movie that was on, the eighties version of Footloose. It was really cheesy, but with the lights low and the taste of chocolate in my mouth and my closest friend just beside me, I couldn't help but think about how much the past year had changed me. For the better.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That last bit is so cheesy (>.


	7. Going Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is in Will's POV, and he goes home! It's a little bit of setting up for future chapters :)

At long last, move-out day had come. I had returned my textbooks, vacated the dorm, and was standing with Nico at his car. It was packed to the brim with his stuff, and stocked for his cross-country drive. “You promise you'll come visit me?”

“It's a solid maybe.” He smirked and closed the trunk.

Before I could comprehend what he was doing, Nico lurched forward and wrapped his arms around my waist. The top of his head barely met my shoulders. “Thank you for everything, Will.”

I didn't know how to react to his sudden show of emotion, so I just folded my arms across his shoulders and squeezed a little bit. It was one of the most awkward hugs I'd ever had. “It's uh, no problem.” I stammered, my face redder than a tomato but my heart blazing with warmth.

Nico detached himself from me and got into his car. “You and I will have words.” he pointed at me with a smile.

I smiled right back at him, because I knew it wasn't a goodbye. “Hell yeah, we will. See you in a couple of months, Nico.” I waved as he peeled out of the parking lot.

I walked back over to where boxes were secured in the bed of my truck and suitcases piled inside. I got into the driver's seat and dialed my mom before starting the car. “Will?” Her voice came from the line.

“Hey, Mom.” I smiled at her voice.

She made a happy squeal into the phone and continued to speak. “I've missed you so much! You're leaving today, right? Mikey looked it up for me, the drive should take just over a day, right?”

“If I drive fast enough and long enough, yeah.” I said. I'd be passing through six states over the 1,827 mile journey.

“Don't go breaking any laws, young man.” She scolded, her southern accent leaking into the words.

“I won't Mom, I promise. I'll see you in a couple days, okay? Tell my brothers hi for me.”

I heard her laugh. “They've been missing having you around, they just won't admit it. I love you, Will.”

“Love you too, Momma. Bye.” I said, and ended the call.

I started my truck and listened to the engine purr. It was time to go home.

That day, I stopped for the night in a little town in eastern Mississippi. According to the internet, it was about the halfway point. I stayed at the Meadville Inn for the night and got to-go from a local restaurant for dinner. As I was eating, my phone dinged with a text from Nico. _I'm somewhere in Nebraska. Luckily, they still have McDonald's._

 _I told you, that stuff will kill you._ I replied.

 _Does it look like I care?_ He sent, with a picture of him taking a bite of a Big Mac.

I laughed and sent him a picture of my salad. _Eat healthier tomorrow, Doctor's orders._

_Fine, Doctor Solace. TTYL -Nico_

_Bye_ I typed and plugged my phone into the charger. 

I got into bed earlier than I had in weeks. I needed a good night of rest for my day of driving tomorrow. I had estimated I would reach the ranch at about six if I left Meadville at ten in the morning. I could sleep in and find a decent breakfast before hitting the road. I fell asleep excited about seeing my family again.

The next morning I grabbed a quick breakfast and ate it on the road. The highway was pretty empty and the scenery pretty boring. Soon, the endless land stretching for miles on either side started to look familiar, and that's when I knew I was almost home. About half an hour out from the ranch, the smooth asphalt road turned to bumpy gravel and the truck kicked up a cloud of dust as it rumbled down the road. A massive smile took over my face as I passed under the sign, Solace Rehabilitation Ranch, and then under that, it read Dawn's Bed and Breakfast. On the driveway, I passed the stables, barn and training arenas. Our house stood on a hill overlooking the land, and a road winding off to the left lead to the B&B. The truck slowed to a stop by the staircase that was in front of the front door. I cut the engine, jumped to the ground, and took the steps two at a time. Unpacking could wait.

I incessantly rang the doorbell until I could see my mother's outline through the panels of glass. She pulled open the door, greeted me with a warm smile and grabbed me in a hug. My arms automatically went around her waist and my chin rested on the top of her head. “Hey, Mom.” I said into her ear.

“Will. I missed you so much.” She muttered into my chest.

I laughed a bit and looked down at her. “I missed you too, Momma. It smells good, are you cooking?”

She untangled herself from me and let me inside. “Of course! My baby has just come home from his first year of college, we need to celebrate!”

I sat on a stool at the counter in the kitchen and watcher her bustle around the kitchen. A couple of pots sat on top of burners on the stove and the oven was on. I heard the back door open and my step-father, Mark, came in with a plate of barbecue. “Will!” He exclaimed. He set the plate on the edge of the counter and bear-hugged me. Since I basically never known my real father, I had grown up with Mark and he was the father figure in my life.

“Hi, Mark.” I smiled and let him go.

“Your mother's been cooking all day for you, boy.” He remarked.

“You manned the grill, sweet-heart.” My mother reminded him, and went about placing silverware on the dining table.

The front door opened, and two pairs of feet came pounding down the hallway. “Boots off, boys. Both of you are adults, do I really have to remind you?” Mom barked.

The newcomers were my brothers, Mikey and Lee. “Sorry, momma. We'll go freshen up.” Lee told her, nearly tripping over himself trying to tug off his work boots. Both of them disappeared up the stairs before she could get another word in.

The oven alarm dinged, the burners were turned off, and all the dishes were placed on the table along with a pitcher of iced sweet tea. We all sat around the table and Mark said grace before we dug in. “Barbecue chicken, coleslaw, steamed vegetables, and fresh cornbread. Dessert is peach cobbler.” Mom declared, sweeping her hand over her day's work.

“Looks amazing, Mom. Thank you so much.” I grinned at her before piling my plate to the brim.

Everyone ate in silence for several minutes before I was bombarded with questions.

“How was the drive?”

“How were your final exams?”

“Was moving out difficult?”

“Any idea what your final grades are?”

“How is Nico?”

I had told them about my roommate at Thanksgiving. They laughed at my stories of his sour attitude in the beginning, and how he eventually warmed up to me. “He's good. Would it be okay if he came to visit us this summer?”

“Of course, we'd love to meet him!” Mom said happily. “Ooh, maybe he could come for Independence day! There's a reason business spikes that week.” She winked.

The Independence Day celebrations at the ranch were nothing to laugh at. Usually, our horses were used in the Main Street Parade in the city and the day was full of festivities at the ranch for the guests. The crowning glory was the barbecue dinner and fireworks at the end of the night. I thought it was a great idea. “I'm sure he'd like that, Mom.”

We continued talking over bowls of warm peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream and tall glasses of sweet tea. After we all helped Mom clear the table and wash up, Mikey, Lee and Mark helped me unload the truck and move back into my room. I unpacked the essentials, the rest could wait until the next day. I flopped onto the bed and sighed. I wondered if Nico was home yet, and if he way okay. I got the impression that he and his dad didn't always get along. I fell asleep fully clothed, wondering if Nico was happy.

The next morning, I was pulled back into life on a ranch. Mikey shook me awake before dawn. “Get up, kid. Chores need to be done.”

Habit took over, and I pulled on work jeans and boots like I had every morning before I went to college. The walk from the house to the barn was tranquil and quiet, with morning fog rolling over the hills. It would burn away within the hour, but it made for beautiful scenery. Inside the barn, I passed the tack room, where we kept all the saddles and supplies for working with the horses, the feed room, and several occupied stalls until I reached where I needed to be. I climbed the ladder up into the hay loft, and threw a couple of bales down. Back on the ground, I dumped the hay into a wheelbarrow and grabbed a pitchfork. Each horse had a container for the hay and grains inside their stall, so my job was to distribute the hay and either Mikey or Lee would follow with the grains.

The ranch took in horses who were either retired from sport or had come from bad homes. If the latter, we fixed them up and trained them to be good companions. We use the older horses to put on equestrian camps for kids during the summer, and the younger ones for competing at rodeos in the summer and fall. My horse was named Apollo, and I couldn't wait to get back in the saddle and start riding.

I finished the rounds with the hay and continued to walk around the barn with a hose and fill all the water troughs. Luckily, years ago, Lee had pulled the short straw and had gotten stuck with mucking the stalls. After finishing my work, I checked the boxes on the checklist on the wall to signify I had done my chores for the morning. I walked back into the barn to Apollo's stall. My grin got wider when the big horse came into my line of sight. His sandy coat shone in the morning light and his brown eyes fluttered at me sleepily. “Morning, boy.” I said quietly, shutting myself in the stall. I stroked his neck and Apollo leaned against me, content. “You game to go out on the trails?” His ears perked up and if horses could smile, he would have. I laughed a little. “I thought so. C'mon, boy.”

I grabbed a lead line from a hook outside his stall and slipped it around his neck and lead him to where we groomed the horses before and after rides. I secured him to the post and jogged back inside for his saddle and bridle. The leather was a little dusty, so I noted that I would have to clean it when we returned. I brushed over Apollo's glossy coat, picked his hooves, and heaved the saddle over my head and secured it around his body after laying a blanket across his back. He took the bit of the bridle with no hesitation, so I unhooked him from the post and walked forward a bit before hauling myself up and into the saddle. I signaled him to walk forward and we headed out of the stable. The ranch's property held a few miles of trails and even more miles of unmarked trails. Often, going off the original trail led to the most beautiful places.

We headed south into a section of forest. Sunlight was just beginning to filter between the trees and it took the edge off the morning chill. I relaxed in the saddle, one hand on the reigns and one resting on the pommel. Most everyone who rides at the ranch rides Western style, unless they compete in other categories like dressage or show jumping. I had always liked Western better. I thought the saddles were more comfortable and the rodeo events were more fun. Barrel racing and cross-country racing was my thing back when I was a teenager. I even tried to learn how to shoot a bow from horseback, but never got very good at it.

The sunlight was quickly burning off the morning chill, and we reached the creek just in time. On one bank, I tugged off my boots and socks and threw them across the creek. I rolled up the legs of my pants and clicked at Apollo to walk into the water. It was deep enough that it went up to the middle of my calves, but Apollo could still walk. The cold water felt amazing and woke me up quickly. _I'll have to bring Nico out here when he visits_ , I thought.

I signaled Apollo to stop in the middle of the creek. The sunlight was filtering through the trees and glinting over the water, and it was beautiful. I snapped a photo with my phone and composed a text to Nico. “ _Wish you were here :P -Will_ ”

I put my phone back into my pocket and exited the creek. I slid off Apollo's back and let my legs air dry before trying to put on my shoes again. Apollo wandered over to a patch of grass, and I just sat on the bank to watch the sun rise. Some time passed before I decided to head back to the ranch. Instead of back-tracking, I went off-trail and ended up in a big, open, field. I wanted to run. I signaled Apollo to gallop, and soon we were flying across the field like the wind. Apollo was happy, and I was too. It was like all the stress I had accumulated from the past year melted away and all the good memories were magnified. It was euphoric.

Back at the house, I took a speedy shower before joining my family for breakfast. After, my mom would head to the B&B for her day's work, and my brothers and dad were going into the city to register for summer rodeos and pick up a feed order for the horses. I decided I would join them, but drive myself so I could get back home as soon as I could. I wanted to finish unpacking all my stuff, and maybe even talk to Nico. After everyone had left the table, I sat there by myself for a while. Sunrise is usually associated with new beginnings and blah blah blah, but I couldn't help feeling that it was true. Summer was going to be a new beginning, and all I wanted was to see how it turned out.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like this chapter, it's like a little peek into Will's life. It does set up for a future chapter, but a Nico POV chapter comes first. I'm so sorry it took me a million years to update, school decided to be crazy :(  
> But, thank you thank you for reading!!  
> Comments of any kind are really really appreciated and they make my day :)  
> Love you guys, till next time!  
> -Hannah


	8. Everyone Knows Something Nico Doesn't

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico goes home!

Nico's POV

The last leg of the drive home was h-o-t. It was just my luck that my air conditioning had blown out that morning, so I had to make the drive through desert with no AC. The sun was blazing down, not a cloud in the sky, and I was baking inside my car. I used very loud and angry-sounding music to match my boiling emotions. Home was not where I wanted to go, but I would be stuck there for at least a couple of months until I could go visit Will. I'd have to find a job to pay for the trip, and it would be a good way to get out of the house.

I drove as fast as I could through the desert, not because I was boiling but because I wanted to reach Las Vegas before nightfall. In that city, there is no specific season where there are less drunk people after dark. After the accident, both my father and I had done everything we could to avoid being out at night. I reached the apartment complex just before sundown. The Strip Apartment Complex was located several blocks away from the actual Strip, but all the lights and noise were still there. A lot of the higher-ups in the casino and hotel businesses lived in those apartments, mostly because they could afford it. Granted, a financial adviser shouldn't have been the best paying job in the grand scheme of casino jobs, but my dad is good at what he does. Therefore, the hoity-toity apartment complex would be my home for the summer.

I parked my car as close to the entrance as I could, and walked inside while ignoring the rich people staring at me like I was some ruffian off of the street. The clerk at the reception desk did a once over on me and spoke in a French accent that I couldn't tell if it was real or fake. “How may I help you, sir?”

“Can you patch me to Mr. Di Angelo's apartment?” I asked.

“May I inquire who is asking?” The clerk asked while typing on a keyboard.

“His son.” I said in a bored tone.

“Ah, of course, Mr. Di Angelo, of course.” The clerk's demeanor changed completely, and he typed a few numbers into a cordless phone and handed it to me.

I waited for the ringing to end, and finally a voice on the other end spoke. “This is apartment five-ten, may I ask who is calling?”

“Nico Di Angelo.”

“Oh hi, Nico! It's Hazel. You're back today?”

“Yeah.”

“Give the phone back to Xavier, he'll buzz you up. See you soon.” The receiver clicked off.

I handed the phone back to the clerk, Xavier, and they spoke a little bit before he put down the phone. He handed me a key on a silver ring. “The attendants will bring your possessions up momentarily.”

I handed my car keys to the valet and other employees rushed outside to unload the car. I rode the elevator up to the fifth floor and walked to the tenth apartment. They key turned easily in the lock, and I pushed open the door. Home sweet home. My shoes made little sound on the polished tile floor. Everything was white or silver and I stuck out like a raven against snow. “Nico!” Hazel came around a corner and greeted me.

It crossed my mind that I hadn't told Will about Hazel, but it wasn't important. She was my step-sister. My dad had gone to New Orleans on a business trip a few years after the accident, and several years after that Hazel rang the doorbell and came into my life. She seemed to have been cleaning, with her hair contained with a headband and the smell of cleaning fluids that came with her. I let her hug me and then we moved into the kitchen to talk. She seemed a little jittery but I wasn't judging. I was nervous too. We don't know each other that well. “I haven't seen you in ages! Do you want anything to eat or drink?”

“Water would be fine.” I answered, settling into a stool at the counter.

Hazel slid an ice-cold water bottle towards me and sat to my left. “How was the drive?”

“It was fine. How are things going here? When did you get here?”

“Nothing too exciting here. I barely see Dad, he's gone when I wake up and comes back late. I got here, hm, two weeks ago. My grandparents wanted me to spend the summer with him.”

Hazel's mom had died in a freak accident a few years back. Hazel had been with her, but survived. She's a couple of years younger than me, so she was living with her grandparents in California until she finished high school. “Well, you're not alone now. What are you going to do this summer?”

“I don't really know. I'd like to find a stable so I can keep riding, but I don't know of any around here.” Hazel's been an equestrian for as long as I can remember. She loves horses and anything to do with them. “What about you?”

“I can look into that for you. As for what I want to do, I need to get a job. My roommate invited me to his place over the summer but he lives in Texas, so I need money to take that trip. Other than that, I wanna chill as much as I can and play music.”

“Sounds good. I've gotta get back to cleaning, but I'm glad you're home!” She hugged me again, quickly, and disappeared to wherever she was before.

Just as I stood, the doorbell rang. It was one of the lobby attendants with all my stuff. He handed me my keys, and then placed all the boxes and suitcases inside the apartment. “Have a nice day, sir.” He said and left.

I kicked the door shut and loaded my arms with boxes and headed to the room I had lived in for a year. Everything was as I had left it, but I suspected Hazel had gone in there to clean at least once. I didn't mind, everything was still in order. I spent the evening unpacking and then made dinner for Hazel and I, with a little extra for dad to warm up when he got home. I knew I would have to go job hunting tomorrow and wasn't looking forward to it, but it was necessary. I fell asleep in my room, noticing the absence of someone else's breathing.

In the morning, I pulled myself out of bed just after ten and found my dad reading a newspaper. I brushed past him into the kitchen; I didn't know how to act around him after being away for months. His behavior was unpredictable sometimes. “Nico?”

I slowly turned around. “Yeah, Dad?”

He had risen from the recliner and walked over to me, his expensive slippers making no noise on the tile. “Welcome home. What are your plans for this summer?”

I continued into the kitchen and made myself a bowl of cereal. “I'm going to find a job and play music.” I didn't want to give him details. He didn't like me playing music and tried to get me to do other things.

“A few of the hotels on The Strip have some openings. I can look into them for you.”

“Thanks Dad, I appreciate it.” I said, but felt the opposite. No way was I spending my summer waiting over pompous, whiny, rich people. I would do my own job hunting.

He returned to his newspaper and I sat at the counter, eating my cereal and browsing through social media. I hadn't checked it in a few days, between finishing the semester, moving out, and driving home, my phone had barely been used. I found that several people from school had found me and sent friend requests. Jason, Percy, Rachel, and a few other acquaintances. I accepted most of them, and Jason added me back immediately. I turned off the phone and walked back down the hall to get ready. After a shower, I put on blue jeans and a black t-shirt because Vegas heat is not the weather for wearing all black.

I was planning to go job hunting every day until I found one, and I wasn't going anywhere near The Strip. I left the car keys on the counter for my dad, and took the elevator down to the lobby. A storage unit was behind the apartment complex, and that's where I was heading. I used the key from the loop that held my apartment keys, and unlocked the unit. Sitting inside, covered in a canvas tarp, was the only thing I couldn't take to college. A motorcycle. I pulled off the tarp, smiling like a fool. The chrome was still as polished and the leather as supple as it had been when I left. I took some time checking over all the parts to make sure everything was in working order. When I turned the key in the ignition, the machine roared to life, a healthy rumble making the bike vibrate. I checked the brakes and acceleration, and seeing that everything was working, I wheeled it out of the unit. I grabbed my helmet from a box and shut and locked the unit. After pulling the helmet over my head, I knocked up the kickstand and rode slowly out of the property and into the street, heading for the suburbs.

My first stop was a shopping complex. It had a couple of stores that I would have been interested in working at. I filled out applications at each and gave them my information. I felt like I had a real shot with two of them, and I left feeling very hopeful. At around four, I decided to quit the search for the day and go home. The apartment was empty when I arrived, so I put the job situation out of my mind and plugged my electric guitar into an amp, cranking it as loud as I could. I practiced, letting the notes ring in my ears, until Hazel had came home. I didn't know she was there until she peeked into my room, as if she was afraid to come in. “Hazel, hi.” I muted the sound coming from the guitar, and propped it against my bed.

“Hey, Nico. How was your day?” She asked, standing awkwardly in the doorway.

“It was good. You don't have to be scared, c'mon in.” I said, opening the door all the way and inviting her in.

She laughed nervously. “Sorry, it's just I haven't seen you in a while.”

“I know the feeling. You don't have to be intimidated by me though. Let's catch up.” And we did. A few hours later, I had Hazel practically crying with laughter as I told her about Will dressing as me for Opposites Day during homecoming. She told me about her boyfriend, Frank, and the amazing horse she was riding at a stable back in California. At the end of the night, I knew the time I spent at home wouldn't be so bad.

Several weeks later, I had a job and it wasn't nearly as bad as I had thought it would be. The clothing shops had turned me down, I couldn't think why, but it turned out to be for the better. Grinders Coffee Bar didn't seem perturbed by my motorcycle or dark clothing, and the guy who interviewed me was really chill. He basically asked me if I could make coffee and learn quickly, and I could, so he gave me the job on the spot. They were either really desperate or didn't care. My training consisted of a day of learning how to roast the coffee beans and then grind them, and learn how to make all the menu items from there. I couldn't do much more than a heart when it came to latte art, but Alex, my coworker and the guy who had hired me, didn't seem to mind.

Alex set me up with working the morning shifts on Monday's, Wednesday's, and Friday's, and the evening shifts on Tuesday's, Thursday's, and Saturday's. I was going to earn as much money as I could so I could go see Will. A couple of weeks later, I had a good amount of money already in the bank and was cruising through another Friday morning rush. I handed out espresso's and latte's like it was my soul purpose in life. “An iced coffee please, and is there any way you can make it blue?”

I recognized the voice and spun around. Percy himself was standing on the other side of the counter. I was flabberghasted. “What the hell are you doing here, Jackson?” I said, more out of surprise than anything else.

“I'm on my way to California, thought I'd drop by.”

“And you magically knew where I worked and when?” I asked dryly.

“I guess you could say there was a third party involved.” Percy hinted, winking a sea green eye. I stood there dumbly, trying to figure out who I had told where I worked and when. Percy sighed, exasperated. “God, you're dense. Solace, dude, Solace told me.”

I frowned because of my own stupidity, and then blushed. “Oh.”

“Nico, if you're gonna be chattin' with Blue Boy over there, you might as well take a break.” Alex hollered from the kitchen, referring to Percy, who happened to be wearing all blue.

I sighed. “Done, boss.” I said with a mock salute. I handed Percy his drink and then left the counter.

We walked outside and stood under the shade of a tree. “You've been talking to Will?” I asked.

“He does have friends other than you, Nico. He does talk about you a lot though. Nico this, Nico that, blah blah blah.” He smiled with the straw between his teeth.

“Good, I guess?” I was playing it pretty cool, but inside a warm feeling was lifting my mood. It felt good to know that Will hadn't forgotten about me. Really good.

“You're kind of oblivious, huh?” Percy asked, snapping me out of my daze.

“Huh?”

“Will likes you. A lot.”

I shrugged. “Yeah, we're friends. I like him a lot too. I'm going to visit him later this summer.”

Percy nodded with a smirk on his face, like he knew something I didn't. “I know. He was talking about it. Let me just say, keep sharp when you go see him. You might discover something you didn't know before. Have a good summer, Nico.”

He walked away with a swagger in his step, leaving me confused. He probably did know something I didn't, but had left me to figure it out. And I still had to wait several more weeks until July. With a shrug, I went back into Grinders and started working, more determined than ever to earn the rest of the money that I needed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been two weeks since I last posted! I'm so sorry guys, I was going through some stuff but I'm doing a lot better now and can get back to writing!  
> Nico is so oblivious XD I feel like this chapter isn't the best, and I think it's because I'm so excited to write the next one. It should be up in a reasonable amount of time (sorry again).  
> Thank you so much for sticking around, it means the world!   
> As usual, comments are welcome and loved!  
> Until next time,  
> Hannah


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